Set Reachable Goals!

So many times I have ask kids what their career goals are and their answer is "play in the NBA!" It's nice to dream big and that would be the ultimate goal but the odds and the facts are stacked against you.

According to the NCAA, 3.1% of high school seniors will play college basketball. About 1.3% of male senior in college get drafted by the NBA. And 0.03% of male college seniors will ever play in the NBA. Those are staggering numbers.

It's important to have goals in life and in sports but you must be realistic when setting your goals to avoid set backs. Set small reachable goals to keep you motivated to get better. If you set the bar too high and not reach it, it could effect you in your personal life including your relationships, your profession and your self esteem. I tell my players their are small reachable goals in basketball that are still challenging to accomplish. And some, although small never happen! A lot of things have to happen collectivly for you to reach your goals. And in basketball most of those are TEAM goals, not individual goals. Nobody is going to remember your 40 point game if you didn't win the sectional. Individual goals in a team sport are ok too as long as it relates to getting the job done. I'm big on recognition of individuals in basketball because it directly effects the team. Somebody has to pass you the ball for that assist, somebody has to grab that rebound to keep the other team from getting another possession and someone has to step up and defend the other teams best player to help their team win...I call it the Scottie Pippen assignment. Pippen guarded the other teams best players to keep Jordan fresh on offense. And MJ will be the first to tell you that without Pippen...no rings!

Sit down with your coach and discuss in detail your career goals both as an individual and as a team collectively. Your coach will help you with your list of goals and talk to you about how to reach them. It's starts with you and your work ethic that determines just how reachable your goals are and your team has to share those goals in order to be successful. While playing in the NBA is a dream, start with goals that are right in front of you first and let your career develop from there.